Protest du Jour: March for Somalia

More than 500 people are expected to gather in Occidental Square, then march to the Jackson Federal Building Friday afternoon to bring attention to Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia a year ago.

Ethiopian troops, with the United States’ backing, marched into Mogadishu last December with a peacekeeping mission to support Somalia’s fragile new government. But fighting between joint Ethiopian and Somalian forces and a fierce insurgency has created what the United Nations is calling one of Africa’s worst humanitarian crises.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi this week defended his army’s actions (Ethiopian troops have been accused of firing at civilian targets), and told the BBC that the UN’s recent security assessment was an exaggeration.

In Seattle, “Ethiopia’s Illegal Invasion in Somalia Peaceful March” will begin at 2 p.m. Here are the details:

At 2:30 p.m., marchers under Seattle police escort, will head east on Main Street to Fourth Avenue South, go north toward Madison Street, then west to Madison and Second Avenue.

The march is expected to take about 45 minutes, and will block traffic downtown. City transportation officials warn motorists to expect delays.